Students work on assigned cases on white boards and present the material.

Case-Based Learning

I use a case-based approach to many of my lessons based material students are assigned before class. Students work on these problems in groups and they present the material to the class. I have learning objectives prepared for each case in advance, and I fill any that may be missed. This allows students to apply abstract concepts, and they seem to enjoy them.

An example of an online discussion board assignement

Interactive Online Content DeliveryDuring the snow days last semester I put some of the didactic content online, and put exercises in Blackboard for students to work on before the next class meeting. Since then I have assigned exercises for students to post YouTube videos of patients with certain conditions in discussion boards and to comment on their classmates entries before coming to class. This gives students an opportunity to see concrete examples of abstract concepts in reading assignments. Instead of having me explain signs and symptoms during class, viewing them in advance leaves more time for discussion about patient presentations.

A student practices staring an IV during simulation.

Chunks and Microskills

I have also learned through education courses that material should be broken down into "chunks." This applies to both broad didactic material and complex psychomotor skills. For didactic material, I have assigned 15-20 minute videos or journal articles about key concepts. I teach complex skills through individual steps. If a student makes a mistake at one of the steps, I stop and guide them through the correct way to proceed. This prevents imprinting incorrect muscle memory.

Incorporate Journal Articles and BlogsSome material in the textbook gets applied more than others. I assign journal articles on the material that students will apply most frequently to supplement the text. Because most articles begin with a case presentation, I ask them to complete these assignments before reading the textbook chapter. Differences between the text and the articles have lead to some lively discussions. The articles are free and can be accessed on their iPad through Blackboard, and the students read them! It also exposes them to resources for continued learning after graduation.

Example of a case-based journal article I assigned.

Example of a podcast assigned to students before class, followed by exercises in class.

Assign Podcasts to Listen to Before ClassPodcasts make the expertise and entertainment of dynamic conference speakers available for free. They can be downloaded onto our students iPads, and they can listen to them on their way to of from class. Case-based exercises in class are based on the material covered on the podcast.

Paramedics in the Australian TV show Recruits! demonstrate concepts covered in class.

Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Words, and Videos Are Worth a MillionI include images and videos as much as possible in my presentations to illustrate concepts and procedures. I use material from our textbook publishers, YouTube videos of live patients, and clips from paramedic reality shows.